Lurs
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| Lurs |
|---|
| Total population |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Southwestern Iran: |
| Languages |
| Luri, Persian |
| Religions |
| Shi'a Islam |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Iranian peoples |
Lurs are an ethnic group of Iranian peoples.
Lurs primarily inhabit the province of Lorestan, Khuzestan, Hamadan, Chaharmal and Bakhtiari and Ilam of Iran and speak Luri language.
Lurs, like most Iranians, are a mixture of indigenous inhabitants of the Zagros and Iranian speaking tribes migrating from Central Asia. As stated above, their language, called Luri, is closely related to Persian, and there are two distinct dialects of this language. Lur-e-Bozourg (Greater Lur), which is spoken by the Bakhtiaris, and Lur-e-Kuchik (Lesser Lur), spoken by the Lurs themselves. The overwhelming majority of Lurs are Shia Muslims. In Khuzestan, Lur tribes are primarily concentrated in the northern part of the province, while in Ilam they are mainly in the southern region.
Prior to the 20th century the majority of Lurs were nomadic herders, with an urban minority residing in the city of Khorramabad. There were several attempts by the Pahlavi governments to forcibly settle the nomadic segment of the Lur population. Under Reza Shah, these campaigns tended to be unsuccessful. The last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, used less forceful methods along with economic incentives, which met with greater, though not complete, success. By the mid-1980s the vast majority of Lurs had been settled in towns and villages throughout the province, or had migrated to the major urban centres.
A number of nomadic Lur tribes continue to exist in the province. Amongst the settled urban populace the authority of tribal elders still remains a strong influence, though not as dominant as it is amongst the nomads. As in Bakhtiari and Kurdish societies, Lur women have had much greater freedoms than women in other Iranian groups.
See Lorestan Province#People and culture for details.
